ABOUT THE STORE : NEWSLETTER

DISPATCHES FROM THE BORDER

Events and News from Borderlands Books

February, 2007

Chapter One - Event Information, News, and Special Features

The Otherworldly Erotic Reading, with Blake C. Aarens, MI Blue, Patrick Califia and Midori, emceed by Carol Queen, Wednesday, February 14th at 7:00 pm

Guy Gavriel Kay, YSABEL (Roc), Saturday, February 17th at 4:00 pm (Please note the time of this event has changed from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm.)

WonderCon at Moscone Center, Friday, March 2nd - Sunday, March 4th

Elizabeth Moon, COMMAND DECISION (Del Rey), Saturday, March 3rd at 3:00 pm

Vicki Pettersson, SCENT OF SHADOWS: THE FIRST SIGN OF THE ZODIAC (Eos), Saturday, March 3rd at 5:00 pm

Borderlands and Variety Children's Charity present "The Last Man on Earth" and "The Omega Man" at the Variety Preview Room, 582 Market Street at 2nd Street, Thursday, March 8th at 7:00 pm

Simon Wood, ACCIDENTS WAITING TO HAPPEN (Leisure), Saturday, March 10th at 5:00 pm (Please note the time of this event has changed from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm.)

Kim Harrison, FOR A FEW DEMONS MORE (Eos), Saturday, March 24th at 1:00 pm

Tad Williams, SHADOWPLAY (DAW), Saturday, March 24th at 3:00 pm

Paramentals Reading, Sunday, March 25th at 3:00 pm

Richard Lupoff and the New Retro Radio Players present "Streamliner," Saturday, April 7th at 3:00 pm

Borderlands and Variety Children's Charity present "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" and "The Thing" at the Variety Preview Room, 582 Market Street at 2nd Street, Thursday, April 12th at 7:00 pm

Robert Balmanno, SEPTEMBER SNOW (Regent), Saturday, April 14th from  12:00 - 2:00 pm

Scott Sigler, ANCESTOR (Dragon Moon Press), Saturday, April 21st at 1:00 pm

Ray Garton, NIGHT LIFE (Leisure), Saturday, April 21st at 3:00 pm

John Scalzi, THE LOST COLONY (Tor), Thursday, April 26th at 7:00 pm

(for more information check the end of this section)

Coming up later on in the year, we'll host Esther Friesner, Ellen Kushner and Delia Sherman, and many others!  Stay tuned.

News

* The Long Now Foundation will be sponsoring an evening seminar with acclaimed author and futurist Vernor Vinge on Thursday, February 15th.  The talk will take place at the Cowell Theatre at Fort Mason at 7:00 pm.  Suggested donation is $10.  See <http://www.longnow.org/> for more information.

* Apply now to the Clarion West Writers Workshop!  "This intensive 6-week workshop will help prepare you for a professional career as a writer of specualtive fiction."  The 2007 instructors include Nancy Kress, Graham Joyce and Samuel Delany.  The final deadline for appplication is April 1st, and you can apply online or by mail.  See <http://www.clarionwest.org> for more details.

* According to George R.R. Martin's "Not a Blog," HBO has optioned A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE!  We'll look forward to more news on this miniseries-to-be. <http://grrm.livejournal.com/>

* In a move that he later described as "dumb," fantasy author David Eddings accidentally burned down his garage and part of his office. <http://www.nevadaappeal.com/article/20070126/NEWS/101260101>

* Cory Doctorow has been named one of Forbes.com's Top 25 "Web Celebrities" for 2007.  Go Cory!  <http://www.forbes.com/2007/01/23/web-celeb-25-tech-media_cx_de_06webceleb_0123top_slides_16.html>

* Speaking of Cory, he recently blogged about Paul di Filippo's story "Wikiworld," from the just-released Pyr anthology FAST FORWARD 1, edited by Lou Anders.  Cory called the story ""one absolute knock-out story ... that is among the most exciting pieces of fiction I've read in years... a vividly imagined, funny and weird story about a world run on gifts, wikis, rough consensus and running code."  The book is available now, but for really instant gratification you can read Paul's story in its entirety here: <http://www.pyrsf.com/chapters/WikiWorld.htm>

* Some people really have too much time on their hands.  For example, Susan Henderson, who has assembled a very charming pictorial history of Neil Gaiman's hair. <http://litpark.com/2007/02/07/neil-gaiman/>

From The Office

. . . will be back next month once Alan catches up from his (probably undeserved) vacation.

There is one bit of news that's worth mentioning -- Borderlands (and by extension, Alan, that lazy sod) has been nominated for the Publisher's Weekly Bookseller of the Year Award.  I want to thank everyone who sent in nominations.  We'll see how it shakes out since there are 20 other nominees and that award seems to favor general interest stores.  But, cross your fingers for us and we'll let you know as soon as we know something.

Best,
Alan

Thank you,
Alan

Origin of the Bookstore, Part the Fourth

For the next nine months we'll be doing a special feature each month in honor of Borderlands' upcoming 10th Anniversary (November 3rd, 2007). We'll share some stories about what Borderlands is and how it got that way.

The Leak of the Week Pool

As many of you know, Borderlands is housed in an old building.  In fact, the building at 866 Valencia turns 100 this year.  We like old buildings; their charms and quirks, their character and temperament.  Something that we don't like quite as much, though, is their tendency to leak.

After fire and censorship, water is the third greatest danger to books.  So when it comes pouring out of the ceiling unexpectedly, you get some pretty frantic booksellers, and for a while we were pretty frantic all the time.  The store leaked when it rained, when the wet leaves on the roof above the skylight became too sodden and heavy, when the plumbing in various parts of the apartments upstairs developed problems, and sometimes for no discernible reason at all.  The following are three selected episodes from the period in which the Borderlands employees enacted what we called "The Leak of the Week Pool," an unofficial betting pool where we wagered on what part of the store would leak next.

One evening, shortly after closing time, Alan and I were working in the office and Cary was finishing the store-closing duties.  We heard an odd "plunk-plunk-plunk" sound, and without further warning big whitish drops of water were falling from the center of the office ceiling.  Through the light fixture.  And then there was grayish water fountaining in an oddly pretty fashion off the top of the lamp and splashing on to every flat surface.  I would like to tell you that the three of us responded with military precision, one of us fetching buckets, one of us turning off the lights and covering the computers with plastic sheeting, and one of us running upstairs to see what the problem was, but in actuality our response was anything but precise.  We did in fact do those things, but it was more like the Keystone Plumbers or the Three Stooges than the Navy Seals.  After staring dumbly for what seemed like an eternity in disbelief, we realized that we were getting the grayish water in our mouths, which had unconsciously dropped open.  Cary and I moved as fast as we could, frequently bumping into each other, to protect the contents of the office, dimly aware that we were being soaked in an unidentified watery substance, while Alan went upstairs at a run, T-wrench in hand.  It turned out that the gentleman in the apartment directly above the office was painting his room, and washing the paintbrushes in his sink.  He hadn't noticed that the drain of his sink had become detached from the wall and was drenching everything below him in heavily diluted white paint.  Alan re-attached his drain in minutes.  Miraculously, the only casualties of this encounter were a handful of books and both Cary's and my boots, which never recovered.  It also took three showers each to remove the paint from our hair.

Another adventure from the same period concerned the building's sewer.  Now there is never a good time to have sewer trouble, but there probably could have been a better time than the day I went to Dickens Faire, the Victorian Christmas Fair at the Cow Palace.  It was pouring rain that day, and I dropped by the store after closing to pick up my computer and ran into Alan, who quickly informed me that we "seemed to be having sewer issues".  He once again went upstairs at a run with a T-wrench to turn off the water supply to the building and I took over his unenviable task of emptying the near-overflowing toilet into multiple five-gallon buckets.  The plumbers arrived while I was bailing as fast as I could, and I raced to the door to let them in.  They stopped dead for a moment to stare at me, and I realized that most people probably don't bail toilets in a corset, velvet jacket, knee-high boots with four-inch heels and a long skirt tucked into their waistband.  Oh dear.  Anyway they recovered themselves quickly and followed me as I dashed to the bathroom at the back of the store yelling "This way!," only to find them arrested mid-motion again by Ripley.  In the middle of this, they wanted to ask me questions about the cat!  Sometimes you just have to laugh.

Speaking of Ripley and the Leak of the Week, this last story concerns her.  I'll bet you didn't know that cats have preternatural leak-detecting abilities.  Well, they do.  Ripley, in fact, has a special meow that we call the "Timmy's down the well" meow, in affectionate tribute to Lassie.  More than once we've heard this distinctive meow and found the cat racing back and forth across the store, staring at the ceiling.  When we'd follow her, she'd inevitably lead us to a small leak that was just in the process of becoming a big leak.  Last time, because of the derring-do of the cat, the only casualty was a small section of the used mass markets in "S".

Postscript: Thanks to Alan's rapidly acquired plumbing skills (and willingness to risk life and limb climbing on the roof to clear the leaves,) the Leak of the Week has become just a series of darkly funny memories.  But the T-wrench, plastic sheets and buckets are still kept close at hand, awaiting a plaintive meow.

-Jude Feldman

Top Sellers At Borderlands

Hardcovers
1. Off Armageddon Reef by David Weber
2. You Suck: A Love Story by Christopher Moore
3. Jennifer Morgue by Charles Stross
4. Polity Agent by Neal Asher
5. Teatro Grottesco by Thomas Ligotti
6. The Android's Dream by John Scalzi
7. Unto the Breach by John Ringo
8. The Ladies of Grace Adieu by Susanna Clarke
9. The Demon and the City by Liz Williams
10. Gods And Pawns by Kage Baker
      tie
     Voices From The Street by Philip K. Dick

Paperbacks
1. Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
2. Old Man's War by John Scalzi
3. Shadowmarch by Tad Williams
4. Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman
5. Crown of Stars by Kate Elliott
6. Hell to Pay by Simon R. Green
7. Learning the World by Ken MacLeod
8. Protector's War by S.M. Stirling
9. Olympos by Dan Simmons
10. Accelerando by Charles Stross

Trade Paperbacks
1. Hardwired by Walter John Williams
2. Overclocked by Cory Doctorow
    tie
    Fledgling by Octavia Butler
3. Snake Agent by Liz Williams
4. Spin Control by Chris Moriarity
5. Market Forces by Richard Morgan

Notes From a DVD Geek

Hello DVD maniacs.  This month we’ve got  an Italian horror resurrection.  Get ready!

The second season of Masters of Terror is hitting DVD, and Dario Argento’s episode, "Pelts," hits DVD this month.  Some of you may remember his episode, "Jennifer," from the first season.  Both are solid entries to the Argento canon.  For more Argento love, be sure to note that cult film experts Blue Underground are re-releasing his sequel to Suspiria,  Inferno.  Inferno is a often-overlooked classic set in a monstrous old mansion in New York, and features a weird score by ELP.  It further explores the “three sisters” mythology that began in Suspiria.

Next up on the Blue Underground list is  Fulci’s classic of 80’s splatter-gore, zombies, and semi-incoherence, City of the Living Dead.  This looks to be a full-features, anamorphic release, which is critical for enjoying the legendary “death by drill press” scene.  A lesser Fulci effort, Don’t Torture a Duckling, is also being re-released this month by Blue Underground.

And an Italian splatter resurgence wouldn’t be complete if you didn’t include a movie by the 3rd member of the Italian horror trinity, Mario Bava.  Bava's film Shock is coming out from Blue Underground as well.  This is one of his later ones, and features a goblin soundtrack, demonic possession and hideous transformation.  Awesome!

Moving away from Italy, Wolverine vs. Batman hits DVD this month as well. That is, Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale star in the movie The Prestige, directed by Christopher Nolan, and based on the novel by Christopher Priest.  Be sure to check out both this movie and the book -- both were excellent.

I’m going to step into a different direction and recommend some Anime, which I’ve been promising to do for a while, but just haven’t gotten around to.  First up is Samurai Gun - The Complete Collection.  This 13-episode tv series is set in mid-19th century Japan, and features a Samurai who uses a gun to take on an evil warlord.  Massive gun battles set amongst the bars and brothels make this anime a fun hybrid of the western and samurai genres. 

Another good anime series to check out is Gunslinger Girls.  The setting is contemporary Italy, where the government has set up a secret program to turn orphan girls into assassins.  A silly concept that is executed seriously, and ultimately, very effectively.  The girls are chemically and cybernetically enhanced, and “wear out” quickly.  The strange bonds that develop between the girls, and between the girls and their minders, are explored in this moody, strange, violent 13-episode anime.

Another great anime series that features young girls who have preternatural powers and are experimented on is Elfin Lied.  This one also has a semi-contemporary setting, this time in Japan.  One of the "experiments" escapes in the first episode, in an appropriately bloody and spectacular way.  When she washes up on the beach after the escape, she is found and taken in by a couple of kids just entering college.  The beauty of this series is the stylistic hybrid of the ultra-violent-government-conspiracy-action side, with a light-hearted and often funny “harem” comedy (with some PG-13 sexual hi jinx).  And the stylistic bi-polar-ness is mirrored by the protagonist's split personality.  In one moment she is a child-like creature completely innocent, and the next, she’s a bitter, angry, and violent killing machine.  It’s fun for the whole family.

That’s it for now.  See you next month.

-Jeremy Lassen
jlassen@borderlands-books.com

Book Club Info

The Gay Men's Book Club will meet on Sunday, March 11th, at 5 pm to discuss CHI by Alexander Besher.  Please contact the group leader, Christopher Rodriguez, at cobalt555(at)earthlink.net, for more information.

The Science Fiction and Fantasy Book Club will meet on Sunday, February 18th, at 6 pm to discuss HE, SHE, AND IT by Marge Piercy.  The book for March is ANANSI BOYS by Neil Gaiman.  Please contact Jude at jfeldman(at)borderlands-books.com for more information.

Upcoming Event Details

Wednesday, February 14th at 7:00 pm: The Otherworldly Erotic Reading, with Blake C. Aarens, MI Blue, Patrick Califia, and Midori, emceed by Carol Queen - Valentine's Day is all-too-frequently full of roses and cow-eyed couples.  So come proudly independent or bring your significant other(s) and join us at Borderlands for the Otherworldly Erotic Reading!  Four readers will bring you speculative fiction coupled with raunch, emceed by author, educator, co-founder of The Center for Sex and Culture <http://www.centerforsexandculture.org/> and all-around sex goddess Carol Queen!  After the readings we'll head off to Killowatt (3160 16th Street) for some fun but deliberately completely un-romantic cocktails.  Obligatory disclaimers: The reading is for those 18 and over, please, and the cocktails are for those 21 and over.

Saturday, February 17th at 4:00 pm: Guy Gavriel Kay, YSABEL (Roc, Hardcover) (Please note the time of this event has changed from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm.) - We know you'll be as delighted as we are to meet fantasist Guy Gavriel Kay!  Mr. Kay is coming to Borderlands to read from and sign his new novel YSABEL.  Publishers Weekly has given it the following starred review: "Kay (The Last Light of the Sun) departs from his usual historical fantasies to connect the ancient, violent history of France to the present day in this entrancing contemporary fantasy.  Fifteen-year-old Canadian Ned Marriner accompanies his famous photographer father, Edward, on a shoot at Aix-en-Provence's Saint-Saveur Cathedral while his physician mother, Meghan, braves the civil war zone in Sudan with Doctors Without Borders.  As Ned explores the old cathedral, he meets Kate Wenger, a geeky but attractive American girl who's a walking encyclopedia of history. In the ancient baptistery, the pair are surprised by a mysterious, scarred man wielding a knife who warns that they've "blundered into a corner of a very old story. It is no place for children." But Ned and Kate can't avoid becoming dangerously entangled in a 2,500-year-old love triangle among mythic figures.  Kay also weaves in a secondary mystery about Ned's family and his mother's motivation behind her risky, noble work.  The author's historical detail, evocative writing and fascinating characters-both ancient and modern-will enthrall mainstream as well as fantasy readers."  We'll see you here.

Friday, March 2nd -  Sunday, March 4th: WonderCon 2007 at Moscone Center - WonderCon is San Francisco's ComicCon.  Borderlands will have a booth at this enormous comic book convention, and we will have author signings, drawings for signed books, and lots more!  Be sure to look us up if you're coming to the Con.  Advance tickets can be purchased at Al's Comics on Market, Comix Experience in the Haight, and many other fine Bay Area comic book retailers, or see <http://www.comic-con.org/wc/> for more info.

Saturday, March 3rd at 3:00 pm: Elizabeth Moon, COMMAND DECISION (Del Rey, Hardcover) - We are very pleased to be hosting science fiction author Elizabeth Moon!  From Random House: "With the Vatta’s War series, award-winning author Elizabeth Moon has claimed a place alongside such preeminent writers of military science fiction as David Weber and Lois McMaster Bujold.  Now Moon is back–- and so is her butt-kicking, take-no-prisoners heroine, Kylara Vatta.  Once the black-sheep scion of a prosperous merchant family, Kylara now leads a motley space force dedicated to the defeat of a rapacious pirate empire led by the mysterious Gammis Turek.
After orchestrating a galaxy-wide failure of the communications network owned and maintained by the powerful ISC corporation, Turek and his marauders strike swiftly and without mercy.  First they shatter Vatta Transport.  Then they overrun entire star systems, growing stronger and bolder.  No one is safe from the pirate fleet.  But while they continue to move forward with their diabolical plan, they have made two critical mistakes.
Their first mistake was killing Kylara Vatta’s family.
Their second mistake was leaving her alive.
Now Kylara is going to make them pay. . ." 

Saturday, March 3rd at 5:00 pm: Vicki Pettersson, THE SCENT OF SHADOWS: THE FIRST SIGN OF THE ZODIAC (Eos, Mass Market) - We know you'll be delighted to make the acquaintance of charming new author Vicki Pettersson.  Her urban fantasy debut THE SCENT OF SHADOWS has a bit of something for everyone -- a seriously messed-up but compelling vigilante heroine, obnoxious all-knowing comic book geeks, and a plot that doesn't slow down to let you catch your breath, all set against the seedy-but-dazzling backdrop of the Las Vegas strip.  The bad news is that the series is addictive. . .the good news is that the sequel, THE TASTE OF NIGHT, will be out in April, so you won't have long to wait for it.  We think Vicki's going to be a star; you should definitely come meet her now so you can say "I knew her when. . ."!

Thursday, March 8th at 7:00 pm: Borderlands and Variety Children's Charity present "The Last Man on Earth" (Directed by Ubaldo Ragona, 1964, 86 mins.) and "The Omega Man" (Directed by Boris Sagal,1971, 98 mins.) - Join us for two classic movies based on Richard Matheson's 1954 masterpiece I AM LEGEND.  The screenings will take place at Variety's Preview Room, located in The Hobart Building, 582 Market Street @ Montgomery, San Francisco.  Doors open at 6:30 pm and the first movie starts at 7:00 pm.  There will be short intermissions between the films.  Seating is limited and seats are available on a first-come, first seated basis, so arrive early!  Refreshments will be available for purchase, and your purchase benefits Variety Children's Charity of Northern California, a non-profit organization that supports children in local communities who are dealing with poverty, neglect, violence, and physical disabilities.  For more information about upcoming movies, write movies@borderlands-books.com.  For more information on Variety Children's Charity, see their web site at <http://www.varietync.org/> or write sffilmvariety@yahoo.com.

Saturday, March 10th at 5:00 pm: Simon Wood, ACCIDENTS WAITING TO HAPPEN (Leisure, Mass Market) - "Josh Michaels is worth more dead than alive.  He just doesn’t know it yet.  He has no idea why someone would try to kill him, but clearly that’s exactly what happened.  When an SUV forced Josh’s car off the road and into a river, it might have been an accident.  But when Josh looked up at the road, expecting to see the SUV’s driver rushing to help him, all he saw was the driver watching him calmly…then giving him a “thumbs down” sign.  That was merely the first attempt on Josh’s life, all of them designed to look like accidents, and all of them very nearly fatal.  With his time—and maybe his luck—running out and no one willing to believe him, Josh had better figure out who wants him dead and why…before it’s too late. "  Those of you who've heard Simon read his riveting and disturbing short stories at Borderlands before know how talented he is, and how excellently he paces his writing.  ACCIDENTS is his first novel release from a major publisher, and you won't want to miss this chance to hear him read.  You can get a peek at the first chapter here: <http://www.simonwood.net/Accidents.htm>.

Saturday, March 24th at 1:00 pm: Kim Harrison, FOR A FEW DEMONS MORE (Eos, Mass Market) -  Kim Harrison's world of the Hollows exploded on to the urban fantasy scene in DEAD WITCH WALKING, and her books just keep getting darker and better.  Publisher's Weekly has the following to say," In bestseller Harrison's fifth demon-kicking extravaganza to feature Rachel Morgan, the first in hardcover (after 2006's A FISTFUL OF CHARMS), the Cincinnati-based bounty hunter and spell caster still possesses "the focus," a 5,000-year-old demon-crafted Were artifact.  With the help of her pixie partner Jenks and Detective Glenn, Rachel must deal with demons, the elf Trent Kalamack and master vampire Piscary, who along with angry Weres, struggle for possession of the artifact.  Meanwhile, a serial killer is on the loose and Rachel's alpha werewolf pal, David Hue, becomes the prime suspect of the FIB (aka the human-run Federal Inderland Bureau).  Action-packed and full of Rachel's persistent erotic ruminations, this titillating tale includes a shocking finale that will leave fans panting for the next installment in the Hollows series."  Come meet Kim, hear her read and learn all about the notorious burning bunny pins!  You can read a teaser here: <http://www.kimharrison.net/For_A_Few_Demons_More.htm>

Saturday, March 24th at 3:00 pm: Tad Williams, SHADOWPLAY (DAW, Hardcover) - Borderlands is thrilled to welcome Tad Williams back to the store!  This master of enormously elaborate fantasy returns with the second volume in the SHADOWMARCH series.  Publisher's Weekly says, " While juggling a complex epic fantasy plot may be child's play for veteran word-wizard Williams (OTHERLAND), the bewildered star players of the fine second volume in his Shadowmarch trilogy must deal with a very adult world being transformed by war, magic, secrets and a weird, powerful scrying-mirror.  Back in Southmarch, Hendon Tolly has usurped the throne, while King Olin's held in captivity in Hierosol.  Olin's young twins, Princess Briony and Prince Barrick Eddon, struggle to survive in exile on separate but equally perilous paths.  Barrick's trapped behind the Shadowline with Capt. Ferras Vansen; Gyir the Storm Lantern, a formidable, faceless fairy; and Skurn, a quirky talking raven.  Briony's helped by a forest demigoddess and winds up with a band of endangered traveling thespians. . .bestseller Williams once again delivers a sweeping spellbinder full of mystical wonder." 

Sunday, March 25th at 3:00 pm: Paramentals Reading - Watch this space for more details!

Saturday, April 7th at 3:00 pm: Richard Lupoff and the New Retro Radio Players present "Streamliner" - More info to come!

Thursday, April 12th at 7:00 pm: Borderlands and Variety Children's Charity present "The Invasion of the Body Snatchers" (Directed by Philip Kaufman, 1978, 115 mins.) and "The Thing" (Directed by John Carpenter,1982, 109 mins.) - A double feature that reminds you to trust no one!  The screenings will take place at Variety's Preview Room, located in The Hobart Building, 582 Market Street @ Montgomery, San Francisco.  Doors open at 6:30 pm and the first movie starts at 7:00 pm.  There will be short intermissions between the films.  Seating is limited and seats are available on a first-come, first seated basis, so arrive early!  Refreshments will be available for purchase, and your purchase benefits Variety Children's Charity of Northern California, a non-profit organization that supports children in local communities who are dealing with poverty, neglect, violence, and physical disabilities.  For more information about upcoming movies, write movies@borderlands-books.com.  For more information on Variety Children's Charity, see their web site at <http://www.varietync.org/> or write sffilmvariety@yahoo.com.

Saturday, April 14th from  12:00 - 2:00 pm: Robert Balmanno, SEPTEMBER SNOW (Regent Press, Trade Paperback) -  "Global warming and climate change have been rife for decades.  Gaia, a new religion originally devoted to preserving the earth, has been perverted.  A draconian regime controls everything, even the weather.
September, a woman of intellect and physical prowess, leads a rebellion.  She seeks to save the planet from a corrupt system so the healing process of earth can begin.  A futuristic dystopian story where mankind and physical life of the living planet are on collision course."  Stop by for an informal chat with author Robert Balmanno and hear about his frighteningly plausible new novel.

Saturday, April 21st at 1:00 pm: Scott Sigler, ANCESTOR (Dragon Moon Press, Trade Paperback) - More info coming soon.

Saturday, April 21st at 3:00 pm: Ray Garton, NIGHT LIFE (Leisure, Mass Market) - More info coming soon.

Thursday, April 26th at 7:00 pm: John Scalzi, THE LOST COLONY (Tor, Hardcover) - More info coming soon. 

Borderlands event policy - all events are free of charge.  You are welcome to bring copies of an author's books purchased elsewhere to be autographed (but we do appreciate it if you purchase something while at the event).  For most events you are welcome to bring as many books as you wish for autographs.  If you are unable to attend the event we will be happy to have a copy of the author's books signed or inscribed for you.  We can then either hold it until you can come in to pick it up or we can ship it to you.  Just give us a call or drop us an email.  If you live out of town, you can also ship us books from your collection to be signed.  Call or email for details.

Chapter Two - Book Listings

Small Press Features

Science Fiction and Fantasy:

TEL: Stories edited by Jay Lake  (Wheatland Press, $17.50, Trade Paperback)

Keyhole Opera, The by Bruce Holland Rogers  (Wheatland Press, $19.95, Trade Paperback)

Thirteen Ways to Water by Bruce Holland Rogers  (Wheatland Press, $16.00, Trade Paperback)

Pictures Showing What Happens on Each Page of Thomas Pynchon’s Novel Gravity’s Rainbow by Zak Smith  (Tinhouse Books, $39.95, Trade Paperback) - Introduction by Steve Erickson.

Beasts of Love by Steven Utley  (Wheatland Press, $, Trade Paperback) - Introduction by Lisa Tuttle.

Last Unicon, The: The Lost Version by Peter S. Beagle  (Subterranean, $35.00, Hardcover) - 100 signed and numbered limited edition copies.

Saints by Orson Scott Card (Subterranean, $35.00, Hardcover)

Complete Hammer’s Slammers Vol. 2, The by David Drake  (Night Shade Books, Signed Limited Edition (250 copies) $65.00, Hardcover, and $35.00, Trade Hardcover) - Introduction by David G. Hartwell. Contains At Any Price, Counting the Cost, Rolling Hot, The Warrior, and The Day of Glory.

Collected Tales of the Baja Express by Gene O’Neill  (Delirium Books, $50.00, Hardcover) - One of 237 signed and numbered limited edition copies.  Illustrated by Gak.

End of The Story, The - The Collected Fantasies, vol. 1 by Clark Ashton Smith and Scott Conners, ed./ Ron Hilger, ed. (Night Shade Books, $39.95, Hardcover)

Rite: Short Work by Tad Williams  (Subterranean, $40.00, Hardcover) - Signed limited edition.  The entire run of this edition has an odd printing error -- the letter “v” is missing from italicized text.

Lady Churchill’s Rosebud Wristlet Number 19 by Gavin J. Grant, ed. and Kelly Link, ed. (Small Beer Press, $5.00, Chapbook) - 10th anniversary issue.  Stories by Carol Emshwiller, Ray Vukcevich and others.

Medicine Show - Liquid Laughter Project vol. 1 by Heidi Lampietti, ed.  (Redjack, $10.00, Other Softcover)

Horror:

Things That Are Not There, The by C.J. Henderson  (Elder Signs Press, $13.95, Trade Paperback)

House of Souls, The by Arthur Machen  (Aegypan, $17.09, Trade Paperback) - No publishing date stated.

Familiar Stranger, The by Brett McBean  (Necessary Evil, $14.00, Trade Paperback) - One of 275 signed and numbered copies.

Chronicles of the Apocalypse: Species by Michael McBride  (Elder Signs Press, $45.00, Hardcover and $17.95, Trade Paperback) - This “author preferred” edition includes the previously released novel Species, with new material, as well as the previously unpublished novel Species II: The Hive (originally due to be released in 2006 by another publisher).

Bronze by Kit Reed  (Night Shade Books, $14.95, Trade Paperback)

Rehearsals for Oblivion: Act 1 - Tales of the King in Yellow by Peter A. Worthy, ed.  (Elder Signs Press, $17.95, Trade Paperback)

Seven Whistlers, The by Amber Benson and Christopher Golden (Subterranean, $40.00, Hardcover) - One of 1000 signed and numbered limited edition copies

Clickers by J.F. Gonzalez and Mark Williams (Delirium Books, $50.00, Hardcover) - One of 344 signed and numbered limited edition copies. Signed by J.F. Gonzalez

World, The Flesh, & The Devil, The - Fantastical Writings Volume 1 by Gerald Kersh and Paul Ducan, ed. (Ash-Tree Press, $47.50, Hardcover) - Introduction by Paul Ducan.

Dead Names - The Dark History of the Necronomicon by Simon  (Subterranean, $60.00, Hardcover) - One of 350 signed and numbered limited edition copies.

Breath of the Moon by John Urbancik  (Solitude Publications, $50.00, Hardcover) - One of 300 signed and numbered limited edition copies. Includes a chapbook, “Bone Island.”

Secretary of Dreams vol. 1, The by Stephen King  (Cemetery Dance, $75.00, Oversized Hardcover) - Illustrated by Glenn Chadbourne. Contains “Home Delivery,” The Road Virus Heads North,” Jerusalem's Lot,” “Rainy Season,” “The Reach,” and “Uncle Otto’s Truck.”

Non-Fiction -

Weapons of Mass Seduction by Lucius Shepard  (Wheatland Press, $19.95, Trade Paperback) - Collected movie reviews.

Neil Gaiman Reader, The by Darrell Schweitzer, ed.  (Wildside Press, $19.95, Trade Paperback) 

New and Notable

Science Fiction and Fantasy:

Faerie Wars - Faerie Wars vol. 1 by Herbie Brennan  (Tor, $6.99, Mass Market)

Blood Bound by Patricia Briggs  (Ace, $7.99, Mass Market)

Fearless - Lost Fleet vol. 2 by Jack Campbell  (Ace, $6.99, Mass Market)

Voice of the Gods - Age of Five vol. 3 by Trudi Canavan  (Eos, $7.99, Mass Market)

Jennifer Scales and the Ancient Furnace by MaryJanice Davidson  (Ace, $6.99, Mass Market)

Unshapely Things by Mark Del Franco  (Ace, $7.99, Mass Market)

Star Marines - Legacy Trilogy vol. 3 by Ian Douglas  (Eos, $7.99, Mass Market)

Bridgehead by David Drake  (Tor, $6.99, Mass Market)

Crown Of Stars - Crown Of Stars vol. 7 by Kate Elliott  (DAW, $7.99, Mass Market)

Myth Hunters, The by Christopher Golden  (Bantam Spectra, $6.99, Mass Market)

Agents of Light and Darkness - Nightside vol 2 by Simon Green  (Ace, $6.99, Mass Market)

Traitor to the Blood - Noble Dead vol. 4 by Barb Hendee and J.C. Hendee (Roc, $7.99, Mass Market)

Bedlam’s Edge by Mercedes Lackey, ed. and Rosemary Edgehill, ed. (Baen, $7.99, Mass Market)

Moonstruck by Edward M. Lerner  (Baen, $7.99, Mass Market)

Wolf Hunting - Through Wolf’s Eyes vol. 5 by Jane Lindskold  (Tor, $7.99, Mass Market)

Solaris Book of New Science Fiction, The by George Mann, ed.  (Solaris, $7.99, Mass Market)

Summoner, The - Chronicles of The Necromancer vol 1 by Gail Z. Martin  (Solaris, $7.99, Mass Market)

Wolf Star - Tour of the Merrimack vol. 2 by R.M. Meluch  (DAW, $7.99, Mass Market)

Engaging The Enemy by Elizabeth Moon  (Del Rey, $7.99, Mass Market)

Woken Furies by Richard Morgan  (Gollancz, $17.28, Mass Market)

Three Hands for Scorpio by Andre Norton  (Tor, $6.99, Mass Market)

Time Twisters by Jean Rabe, ed. and Martin H. Greenberg, ed. (DAW, $7.99, Mass Market)

Legacy of the Wolf - Chronicles of The Cheysuli - Omnibus Two by Jennifer Roberson  (DAW, $8.99, Mass Market) - Contains LEGACY OF THE SWORD and TRACK OF THE WHITE WOLF

Fifty Degrees Below by Kim Stanley Robinson  (Bantam Spectra, $7.99, Mass Market)

Keeping it Real by Justina Robson  (Gollancz, $15.25, Mass Market)

Earthseed by Pamela Sargent  (Tor, $6.99, Mass Market)

Old Man’s War by John Scalzi  (Tor, $6.99, Mass Market)

Plague of Memory - Stardoc vol. 7 by S.L. Viehl  (Roc, $7.99, Mass Market)

Old Soldiers by David Weber  (Baen, $7.99, Mass Market) - Created by Keith Laumer.

Brass Man by Neal Asher  (Tor, $14.95, Trade Paperback)

Mammoth Book of Golden Age Science Fiction, The by Isaac Asimov, ed. and Charles G. Waugh, ed. (Carroll & Graf, $13.95, Trade Paperback) - Also edited by Martin H. Greenberg. Novellas by A.E.. van Vogt, Frederic Brown, Theodore Sturgeon and others.

Thousandfold Thought, The - Prince of Nothing vol. 3 by R. Scott Bakker  (Overlook, $15.95, Trade Paperback)

Complete Short Stories: Vol. 2 by J.G. Ballard  (Harper Perennial, $23.16, Trade Paperback)

Final Impact - Axis of Time vol. 3 by John Birmingham  (Del Rey, $14.95, Trade Paperback)

Purple Emperor, The - Faerie Wars, vol. 2 by Herbie Brennan  (Bloomsbury, $8.95, Trade Paperback)

Princess of Mars, A by Edgar Rice Burroughs  (Penguin, $9.00, Trade Paperback)

Fledgling by Octavia E. Butler  (Warner, $13.99, Trade Paperback)

Seed to Harvest by Octavia E. Butler  (Warner, $18.99, Trade Paperback) - Contains the novels Wild Seed, Mind of My Mind, Clay’s Ark and Patternmaster.

Overclocked: Stories of the Future Present by Cory Doctorow  (Thunder’s Mouth Press, $15.95, Trade Paperback)

From The Notebooks of Dr. Brain by Minister Faust  (Del Rey, $13.95, Trade Paperback)

Coraline by Neil Gaiman  (HarperTrophy, $5.99, Trade Paperback) - Illustrations by Dave McKean.

Saffron and Brimstone - Strange Stories by Elizabeth Hand  (M Press, $14.95, Trade Paperback)

Children of Men by P.D. James  (Vintage, $13.95, Trade Paperback)

Armageddon Rag, The by George R.R. Martin  (Bantam Spectra, $15.00, Trade Paperback) - Finally back in print!

Solstice Wood by Patricia A. McKillip  (Ace, $14.00, Trade Paperback)

Hero and the Crown, The by Robin McKinley  (Ace, $14.00, Trade Paperback)

Diamond Isle, The - The Dreamtime vol. 3 by Stan Nicholls  (Eos, $14.95, Trade Paperback)

Meaning of Lost and Mismatched Socks, The by Dr. Perditus Pedale, M.D., Ph.D. and Harry S. Robins, ed. (Frog, Ltd., $9.95, Trade Paperback)

Platinum Pohl by Frederik Pohl  (Orb, $16.95, Trade Paperback)

Hart & Boot & Other Stories by Tim Pratt  (Night Shade Books, $14.94, Trade Paperback) - Contains the title story, Life in Stone, Cup and Table, In a Glass Casket, Terrible Ones, Romanticore, Living with the Harpy, Komodo, Bottom Feeding, The Tyrant in Love, Impossible Dreams, Lachrymose and the Golden Egg, Dream Engine, and story notes.

Mad Professor: The Uncollected Short Stories of Rudy Rucker by Rudy Rucker  (Thunder’s Mouth Press, $15.95, Trade Paperback)

Imaro 2: The Quest For Cush by Charles Saunders  (Night Shade Books, $14.95, Trade Paperback)

In the Night Garden - Orphan's Tales vol. 1 by Catherynne M. Valente  (Bantam, $14.00, Trade Paperback)

Dead Eye Dick by Kurt Vonnegut  (Dial Press, $14.00, Trade Paperback)

Gods and Pawns - Stories of the Company by Kage Baker  (Tor, $24.95, Hardcover)

Emperor - Time’s Tapestry vol. 1 by Stephen Baxter  (Ace, $24.95, Hardcover)

Ruler of the Realm - Faerie Wars vol. 3 by Herbie Brennan  (Bloomsbury, $18.95, Hardcover)

Voices from the Street by Philip K. Dick  (Tor, $24.95, Hardcover)

Feast of Souls by C.S. Friedman  (DAW, $25.95, Hardcover)

Rebel Fay - Noble Dead vol. 5 by Barb Hendee and J.C. Hendee (Roc, $23.95, Hardcover)

Ysabel by Guy Gavriel Kay  (Roc, $24.95, Hardcover)

A March Into Darkness by Robert Newcomb  (Del Rey, $26.95, Hardcover)

White Tyger by Paul Park  (Tor, $25.95, Hardcover) - Sequel to A PRINCESS OF ROUMANIA, and THE TOURMALINE

Off Armageddon Reef by David Weber  (Tor, $25.95, Hardcover) - Signed by David Weber.

Stars at War, The - Starfire vol. 1 by David Weber and Steve White (Baen, $25.00, Hardcover) - Contains CRUSADE and IN DEATH GROUND

Morningstar - Lucifer vol. 10 by Mike Carey and Peter Gross (DC Comics, $14.99, Oversized Softcover) - Originally published in magazine form as Lucifer 62-69.

Black Widow: The Things They Say About Her (Black Widow vol. 2) by Richard K. Morgan and Bill Sienkiewicz (Marvel Comics, $15.99, Oversized Softcover) - Collects Black Widow: The Things They Say About Her #1-6

Horror:

Thirsty by M.T. Anderson  (Candlewick Press, $5.99, Mass Market)

Kissing Sin by Keri Arthur  (Dell, $6.99, Mass Market)

Threshold by Caitlin R. Kiernan  (Roc, $6.99, Mass Market)

Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause  (Laurel Leaf, $6.50, Mass Market)

Over the Moon by Angela Knight and MaryJanice Davidson (Berkley, $7.99, Mass Market) - Also by Virginia Kantra and Sunny

Dead and Dateless by Kimberly Raye  (Ballantine, $6.99, Mass Market)

Pretty Little Devils by Nancy Holder  (Razor Bill, $6.99, Trade Paperback)

Daughter of Hounds by Caitlin R. Kiernan  (Roc, $14.00, Trade Paperback)

In the Company of Ogres by A. Lee Martinez  (Tor, $13.95, Trade Paperback)

You Suck - A Love Story by Christopher Moore  (William Morrow, $21.95, Hardcover) - Sequel to Bloodsucking Fiends

Terror, The by Dan Simmons  (Little, Brown, $25.99, Hardcover) - Signed by Dan Simmons.

Invisible, The by Mats Wahl  (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, $16.00, Hardcover) - Translated from the Swedish by Katrina E. Tucker.

Stations of the Cross- John Constantine, HellBlazer by Mike Carey and Marcelo Frusin (DC Comics, $14.99, Oversized Softcover) - Originally published in single magazine format as HellBlazer #194-200

All His Engines - John Constantine, HellBlazer by Mike Carey and Leonardo Manco (DC Comics, $14.99, Oversized Softcover)

Non-Fiction

Lord of the Rings, The - A Reader’s Companion by Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull (Houghton Mifflin, $30.00, Hardcover)

New and Notable DVDs

Illusionist, The directed by Neil Burger  (Twentieth Century Fox, $29.98, DVD) - Starring Edward Norton.

Descent, The: Unrated Director's Cut directed by Neil Marshall  (Lionsgate, $28.98, DVD) - Features original ending, not the crappy theatrical edit.

Featured Upcoming Titles

This newsletter is distributed monthly free of charge and may be distributed without charge so long all the following information is included.

Dispatches from the Border
Editor - Jude Feldman
Assistant Editor - Alan Beatts
Contributors - Jeremy M. Lassen

All contents unless otherwise noted are the property of

Borderlands Books
866 Valencia St.
San Francisco, CA  94110
415-824-8203
http://www.borderlands-books.com

Comments and suggestions should be directed to editor@borderlands-books.com

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